• Mauritius Telecom to invest $434M over 3 years to boost digital infrastructure
  

• Plan includes new submarine cables, sovereign cloud, AI, and 5.5G rollout
  

• Aims to make Mauritius a regional hub linking Africa and Asia
  

Mauritius Telecom announced a three-year investment of 20 billion Mauritian rupees, or 434 million dollars, to modernize its infrastructure, strengthen connectivity and develop advanced digital services. The investment plan, announced by CEO Veemal Gungadin on Friday, December 5, during the Mauritius Telecom Connect event in Côte d'Or, aims to transform Mauritius into a regional digital hub and an intercontinental connectivity corridor linking Africa and Asia.

It focuses on several priorities, including deploying new submarine cables, developing a sovereign cloud, integrating artificial intelligence solutions, accelerating 5.5G and expanding digital services such as mobile payments.

Mauritius already has a strong network of submarine cables linking the island to Africa, Asia and Europe. SAFE, LION and LION2, MARS and T3 provide redundant international connectivity. The T3 cable, operational since late 2023, offers up to 54 terabits per second of capacity.

As part of MT’s program, two new submarine cables, T4 and SEACOM 2.0, will be added to the system and will significantly increase current SAFE capacity before that cable is retired around 2027.

Beyond connectivity, MT aims to position Mauritius as a technological and logistical hub for Africa and Asia. The development of sovereign cloud services, the adoption of AI and 5.5G technologies and the growth of digital payments through my.t money are viewed as key drivers of large-scale digital transformation.

The my.t money service, which already has more than 130,000 active users, could evolve into an intercontinental payments platform, enabling fast and secure transfers between Africa and Asia for businesses, investors and diaspora communities. MT also plans to design digital solutions for start-ups and SMEs under a “Build in Mauritius, Scale Across the Continent” approach.

The initiative comes as demand for cloud services, digital content and connectivity continues to grow across Africa. Through its national Digital Mauritius 2030 strategy, the country has already made significant progress.

According to the International Telecommunication Union’s 2025 rankings, Mauritius ranks third in Africa for ICT development with a score of 86.3. The country also ranks 55th in the Global Innovation Index 2024, first in Sub-Saharan Africa, and holds a Tier 1 cybersecurity rating.

By strengthening its infrastructure and deploying advanced technologies, Mauritius Telecom aims to position Mauritius as a regional connectivity hub, attract more investment and boost the local digital economy.

Samira Njoya